July 2005

Austin Health trials new cancer treatment

Austin Health is taking part in an international study of a new treatment for bowel cancer.

Avastin, a new class of therapy known as an angiogenesis inhibitor, targets angiogenesis—the growth of a network of blood vessels that supply nutrients and oxygen to cancerous tissues.

Austin Health oncologist Niall Tebbutt said the significant increase in survival among patients treated with Avastin in combination with chemotherapy—with only a minor increase in the side-effects commonly associated with chemotherapy—was a really exciting new phase in the treatment of this disease.

‘While traditional therapies, such as chemotherapy, target the tumour itself, Avastin works in a vastly different way by blocking off blood supply essential for the growth of a tumour and its spread throughout the body,’ Dr Tebbutt said.

‘This essentially starves the tumour—slowing and, in some instances, reducing its growth.’

Studies have shown that Avastin significantly increases survival and has been proven to extend the lives of patients with bowel cancer.

When used in combination with chemotherapy, Avastin increased survival by 30 percent.

Specialists say that the availability of Avastin in Australia offers great hope for patients with advanced bowel cancer and represents a major advance in cancer treatment from now on.

Avastin is a highly-effective treatment option for patients with bowel cancer and a welcome addition to the range of cancer therapies currently available.

Clinical trials have shown Avastin significantly increases survival when used in combination with chemotherapy.

A landmark Phase Three trial involving more than 900 bowel cancer patients published in the New England Journal of Medicine, showed a 30 percent increase in overall survival when Avastin plus a standard chemotherapy regimen was used as a first-line treatment.

Oncologists said this signified the largest improvement in survival time reported in a Phase Three clinical study for bowel cancer that could be attributed to the addition of a single targeted therapy to conventional chemotherapy.

Bowel cancer is a significant global health problem.

It is the third most commonly-reported cancer with almost one million new cases annually worldwide.

It is estimated that 50 per cent of people diagnosed with bowel cancer will die of the disease.

In Australia, bowel cancer accounts for 14.6 percent of all cancers among both men and women and it has the highest incidence of new cases per year.

It is also the second leading cause of cancer deaths.

Patients with bowel cancer should discuss the most appropriate treatment options with their specialist.